New Hope
by Tenchi Knight
Summary: From heroine to vigilante to nothing and then something else... What has made Kim Possible make so many changes? KiGo.


**NEW HOPE**

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, and I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Beep-beep-ba-beep...

Kim pulled out her 'kimmunicator' and hit the talk button.

"Go Wade." Kim said.

"Kim, we've got a hit on the website. Doctor Drakken and Shego have been spotted on the small Greek  
island of Kophos east of Kythnos, and this coincides with a break-in at Midas Laboratories, a small  
cybernetics company that specializes in nanotechnology. Kim, these guys are on the leading edge.  
They've pioneered virtually every breakthrough in the past ten years." Wade said. "I've hooked you up  
with a ride to get there with Captain Mitchell of the US Marine Corps. When you arrive, you'll be  
meeting Doctor Ann Droid, the lead researcher at the company. She'll fill you in on what was stolen."

"What the ETA on our ride?" Kim asked.

"He's about ten minutes out." Wade said. "Good luck, Kim."

"No big, Wade." Kim said, smiling at him. "Piece of cake, I'll be back in the states tomorrow no worse for  
the wear."

"Kim... I'm serious... be careful..." Wade said, his voice sounding unnaturally concerned. "I have a bad  
feeling about this mission..."

"Wade, don't worry about me so much." Kim said. "I'll be fine. Besides, I've got Ron there with his  
mystical monkey powers so I'm protected."

"Kim... I'll pray the rosary for you for your safe return..." Wade said.

"You're catholic?" Kim asked, shocked by this revelation.

"Born and raised." Wade said.

"I never knew..."

"I guess it never came up. Kinda funny, though. We've got a Catholic helping out a Methodist and a Jew  
who saved the world." He said. "It sounds like we've got the start to some great inter-faith teamwork."

"Yeah..." Kim said softly. "And thanks, Wade..."

"Anytime, Kim." Wade said.

Kim cut the connection and looked at her best friend of over a decade standing next to her.

"Did you know he was Catholic?" Kim asked Ron who shrugs.

"Uh huh..." Rufus said, emerging from Ron's pocket. "When you're in trouble..." He said and then  
crossed himself.

"Oh. So he would pray when we were in trouble." Kim said and Rufus nods.

"Thanks, Rufus." Kim said.

"No big." He said, and disappeared into Ron's pocket once more.

SIX MINUTES LATER...

Ron frowned as they sat silently, waiting for their transportation to arrive.

"Great... now I'm getting a bad feeling too..." Ron said. "Something just feels wrong..."

"Oh, not you too, Ron." Kim said, rolling her eyes. "We're gonna be fine. How many times before have  
we done this? It's gonna be simple. All we have to do is drop onto the island, infiltrate the lair, get the  
goods back, hit the self-destruct, and everyone escapes as usual. No big."

"KP, are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes." Kim said, lying through her teeth. Truth be told, she was sure she was even more anxious than  
either of her teammates at this point. Something had just been nagging at her since they got the call and  
she couldn't help but wonder what it is and what it bodes for her and everyone on her team.

"KP, I want you to know... if we don't make it out of this..." Ron started.

"If you say one more word, Ron, I'm gonna call Bonnie and tell her you still have a Fearless Ferret  
costume in your closet." Kim said. "And I'm gonna tell her you still wear it from time to time, even when  
it's not Halloween."

"You wouldn't dare..." Ron said, horrified.

"I would. Now stop talking negatively!" She ordered and he nodded.

"All right." He said. "Hey... what's that sound?"

Kim blinked and then looked up to see a strange looking aircraft overhead. She watched as it hovered  
and then touched down on the road. They stared at the aircraft that looked like an airplane but had  
engine pods on the ends of the wings, which were sporting massive propellers turned upward like  
rotors. The back hatch of the aircraft dropped open and two men wearing camouflage fatigues and  
helmets ran out and around to where the two teenagers are standing.

"ARE YOU KIM POSSIBLE?!" One soldier asked over the engine noise and Kim nodded. "COME WITH US!"

The soldier turned around and ran back to the hatch once more. Kim and Ron ran after and the second  
soldier pulled up the rear. As they all embark, the hatch closed and Team Possible find they're on a  
USMC transport filled with twenty fully garbed and armed Marines.

"Welcome aboard, ma'am." One soldier said, saluting her. "Please, have a seat."

Kim returned the salute and she walked over to a free seat with Ron a step behind. They sat down and  
buckle in before giving a 'thumbs up.' The soldier nodded and then made his way back to the front of  
the aircraft which shuddered gently before lifting off the ground.

"KP..." Ron said.

"Stow it, Ron." Kim growled.

"Ma'am, are you Kim Possible?" A soldier sitting next to Kim asked.

"I am..." Kim said, unsure.

"Wow... could I get your autograph? I've heard the stories about what you're doing to keep those  
villains from taking over the world and it's really amazing what you're able to do." He said, pulling out a  
pen and paper.

"It's no big... I'm just doing my thing..." She said, blushing at the soldier's praise. "If anything, you're  
more a hero than I am... you go out and fight every day in service of your country..."

"Ma'am, we're just doing our jobs." A soldier sitting across from her said with a grim expression. "To be  
honest, a lot of us are scared spit-less when we're out there in the suck and we don't see ourselves as  
heroes."

"But I see you as heroes." She said with a smile that melted his stony exterior slightly and caused him to  
crack a smile.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said.

She signed several autographs for the soldiers (as did Ron) and then they settled in for the long ride.

HOURS LATER...

Kim was jarred awake by a soft bump and looked around with a confused expression.

"Just turbulence," The stony soldier said. "Probably a refueling tanker if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh..." Kim said, blushing.

"You know, you remind me of my daughter." The soldier said. "She's turning thirteen next month..."

He pulled out two pictures from his pocket and handed them to Kim. She looked at the pictures and  
smiled as she sees the hulking soldier with a massive grin on his face as he held a petite girl on his  
shoulder with ease.

"That was last summer... I had leave and had gone to visit her but her mother had already decided that  
she was going to take her out camping with her new husband..." He said. "It took a lot of finagling to pull  
it off, but eventually she relented and let her stay with me for a week. She's the reason that I can make  
it through each day. I just think of her smiling face and how much I want to see her again and it gives me  
the strength to carry on."

She looked at the second picture and saw the girl yet again, but this time standing by herself. She's a  
beautiful girl just blossoming into womanhood. Long scarlet tresses cascade down her head and halfway  
down her back like a fiery waterfall and set off her stunning jade green eyes that shine like gems as they  
gaze wide and unassuming at the photographer. Her face is slender and pixie-like and lips are rosy red,  
much like the blush that is highlighting her delicate bone structure. She was wearing a white halter-style  
sundress that came down to mid-thigh and left her long slender legs exposed to the summer air.

"She's beautiful." Kim said.

Ron leaned over and looked at the picture for a long moment before looking up at the soldier.

"It looks like you're gonna have your hands full." Ron said.

Kim and the soldier both looked over at the blonde boy.

"Your daughter is a gorgeous young lady and will grow up to be a real heartbreaker, so you're gonna  
have a time dealing with prospective suitors." Ron said. "At least, that's how I feel about Hana, though I  
doubt she'll need any protecting, what with the mystical monkey powers and all."

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes once more and Kim handed back the pictures.

"Thank you for sharing with me, Lieutenant Pierce." Kim said.

"You're welcome, ma'am." The lieutenant said. "Ma'am..."

"Sure." Kim said, smiling at him and holding out her hand. He smiled somewhat embarrassedly as he  
handed a note pad and pen to her. She quickly jotted down a message and then signed the page before  
handing it to him. He looked at it and a soft smile spread across his face.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said.

"And lieutenant, call me Kim."

"Yes... Kim." He said, feeling a bit unsure.

"Better." She said.

HOURS LATER...

Kim and Ron look up and over as the soldier who had seated them walked over.

"We're approaching the landing zone now." He said. "ETA is two minutes. LZ will be half a kilometer  
south of objective. We will establish a perimeter and base of operations for the duration of the  
operation."

"Wade will act as my communications man and provide a link between Ron and me and the rest of you."  
Kim said. "If we need help, can we rely on support?"

"One hundred percent," The soldier said.

"Thank you." Kim said and then pulled out her kimmunicator and dialed Wade.

"Hey, Kim." He said.

"Wade, I've got a platoon of Marines working as my support after catching a flight on a USMC aircraft.  
Dish the details." Kim said.

"I did some hacking for the Corps and some high-ups owe me some pretty big favors so I called in one  
for this mission." Wade said. "I've got a really bad feeling about this..."

"How did you manage to get it all together, though?" Kim asked. "Doesn't it take a while to get soldiers  
ready for an operation like this?"

"Normally yes," Wade said. "However they were headed out for some exercises and were repurposed as  
your escorts."

"Oh." Kim said. Kim looked up at the ceiling as the aircraft shuddered softly. "It feels like we're coming in  
for a landing. I need you to act as a communications officer for me and Ron while we're on the mission  
in case something happens."

"Will do." Wade said.

"MAKE READY!" The soldier called and Kim was surprised to hear them ready their M4 Carbines before  
unlatching their belts.

"I've got to go." Kim said.

"Good luck, Kim." Wade said.

The aircraft jolted as the tires settled on the ground and the back hatch opened. Moments after it  
touched the surface, the soldiers rushed out and form a defensive perimeter around the aircraft. Ron  
and Kim walk off a moment later and embark on their half-kilometer journey.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Ron's eyes darted left and right skittishly as they approach the main gate, a terrible feeling gnawing at  
his soul.

"KP..." Ron said.

"Ron, please, nothing is gonna..." Kim's words were cut off as they hear a deep rumbling boom. "Did you  
hear that?!"

Several more booms, each louder and higher than the past were heard.

"I don't think we wanna be near the door right now!" Ron shouted and they quickly ran away from the  
door as the explosions got louder and louder until a massive blast blows the doors clean from their  
tracks and launched them one hundred meters from the entrance.

Kim pulled out her kimmunicator and calls Wade.

"What's up, Kim?" He said.

"Wade! Get the soldiers up here now! Something's happened and I think that the lair blew up with  
Drakken and Shego inside!" Kim shouted while looking at the gaping hole that was the entrance.

"Calling for reinforcements now," Wade said.

"Come on, Ron!" Kim shouted at her friend as she charged for the entrance.

"KP! WAIT!" He shouted and she turned around with a deadly glare. "At least for the reinforcements..."

"But she could be hurt..." Kim said. "They could both be hurt..."

"Kim, if we go in there alone, we could be killed..." Ron said. "Shego's strong, as is Drakken. They'll  
survive this."

"Are you sure?" Kim asked softly.

"Yes." Ron said, fighting down a wince at the bold-face lie he had just told his best friend. He had seen  
the blast that had taken the doors. It wasn't a normal explosion... it was a thermobaric bomb going off...  
that sort of explosion kills with pressure... something you can't escape and something most can't  
survive...

Kim stood there, staring at the cavernous opening and wrapped her arms around herself. Ron walked  
over and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and giving her comfort.

TWO MINUTES LATER...

The soldiers run up and see the embracing duo still standing as they were.

"Kim! I'm glad to see you and Ron are all right." Lieutenant Pierce said to break the moment.

The heroes pulled apart and turned to the lieutenant.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Kim said.

"Did you see what sort of explosion it was?" Lt. Pierce asked.

"It was a thermobaric blast." Ron said almost immediately and Lt. Pierce winced.

"What does that mean?" Kim asked, confused.

"It uses an explosive mixed with an accelerant such as magnesium or aluminum powder to create a  
pressure blast rather than a standard fragmentation." Lt. Pierce said. "It kills using pressure not  
shrapnel."

"Ron... we have to go in..." Kim said.

"KP, just let the soldiers do the looking... It's too dangerous." Ron said. Kim glared at Ron for a long  
moment and then stepped back from him.

"Ron, I don't care what you say, I'm going in. Lieutenant: let's go."

The lieutenant nodded as Kim quickly made her way into the ruined lair. As she walked along, she  
glanced right and left at the destruction. As she reached a branching corridor, she looked down it for a  
moment.

"Two men," She said, pointing down the corridor.

"Two men?" The lieutenant asked.

"There are only a couple rooms down there. Most of Drakken's lairs have the same layout so I can tell  
where things are and that hallway will only need two men for an initial search. We're looking for  
survivors to rescue."

"Johnson! Franklin!" The lieutenant called and motions to the hall. Two men break ranks and moved  
down the hallway.

TEN MINUTES LATER...

Kim walked down a dark hallway with Lieutenant Pierce and a corporal in tow, her eyes fixed on a room  
that is dead-ahead. She walked to the doorway and hesitated, her hand on the frame.

"Is something the matter?" Lieutenant Pierce asked.

"This is Shego's room..." Kim said softly as she gazed at the destruction.

"We'll wait out here." Lieutenant Pierce said, gazing pointedly at the corporal who blinked at the sharp  
look.

"Thank you..." Kim said softly and then walks into the room, feeling as if she were walking into a crypt  
or a holy shrine. She gazed left and right as she walked in and sighed heavily. "Where are you, Shego?"

She looked around the room and then gasped as she saw a flash of green under a pile of debris.

"SHEGO!" She cried and ran over to the form, clawing at the debris with her bare hands. "LIEUTENANT!  
CORPORAL!"

The soldiers ran into the room and grabbed hold of some of the larger debris that is keeping her pinned  
down. Once freed, Kim moved to her side and crouched down next to her, cupping her cheeks gently in  
her hands.

"Shego... come on, Shego... open your eyes..." Kim said. "Come on... look at me..."

Shego's eyes slowly opened and she gazed up at Kim's worried face.

"Hey there, pumpkin..." Shego said softly. "Why are you crying?"

"I thought... I thought you were dead..." Kim said softly.

"It takes more than..." She coughed violently, "than this to kill me..."

"Shego, don't speak..." Kim said; her voice soft.

"Kimmie... I want to tell you something... before I can't speak anymore... you were always my favorite..."  
Shego said. "I always looked forward to when I'd see you... you can even say... I almost loved you..."

Kim stared at her with wide eyes as she felt the sharp sting of tears welling up, blurring her vision. She  
clenched her eyes shut and leaned down, hugging the older woman tightly. She heard soft speaking  
behind her, and then felt a set of hands on her shoulders.

"Come on..." The corporal said to her. "Let's wait outside... the medic is here to take care of Shego..."

He led her out of the room while a soldier quickly made his way inside with a large pack on. Moments  
later, a soldier walked over to them and saluted the corporal.

"Sir, we've found Drakken." The soldier said. "It appears he was killed in the blast."

Kim's eyes went wide with shock and she shuddered convulsively, feeling the bile rise in her throat at  
the knowledge that someone she had known and fought for so long had just died.

"Recover his body for a proper burial." The corporal said and the private lifted his eyebrow at this order.  
"Let me rephrase. Recover as much of his body as you can for a proper burial."

This statement is all it took for Kim who ran over a few steps to a wall before her stomach gives a mighty  
heave and her breakfast was forcefully ejected onto the floor. After a minute of dry heaving, she saw  
something enter her peripheral vision and glanced over to see a canteen being offered to her. She opens  
it and uses the first drink to rinse out her mouth and then quaffs more to get something into her  
otherwise empty stomach. As she stood upright, she saw the lieutenant standing there.

"Are you doing all right, Kimberly?" He asked with a concerned tone of voice.

"Drakken's dead..." She said weakly.

"So I heard." He said. "We've called in a medivac for Shego. She's going to be flown to Araxos Military  
Airport and then be taken on a transport to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a US Military hospital. I  
spent three months there and I can attest that's the best place for her to be right now."

"Thank you, Lieutenant..." Kim said.

"Now come on, let's get you back to the Osprey." The Lieutenant said. "There's nothing more you can  
do here."

"Who's gonna take care of Shego and..." She trailed off, feeling ill once more.

"My men will take good care of both of them, Kim." He said. "Don't worry about a thing."

He looked at one soldier and made a complex set of gestures. The soldier saluted, then ran off and  
returned a minute later with Ron in tow.

"KP, what's going on?" Ron asked, confused.

"Let's get back to the Osprey..." Kim said softly.

"KP?" Ron said.

"You should get back to the transport, Ron." The lieutenant said. "There's nothing more to be done  
here."

"You mean Shego..?" He said with a horrified look.

"Shego survived, however Doctor Drakken did not. Now there's nothing more you really need to be here  
for so you should get back to the Osprey since there might still be some unexploded ordinance nearby."  
The lieutenant said and Ron nodded. They walked out of the lair and made their way the half-kilometer  
to where the Osprey is waiting with a small Marine guard detail. They stepped onboard and sat down on  
the benches, feeling helpless.

THREE HOURS LATER...

Kim jerked as she heard a sound and realized she had fallen asleep leaning against Ron while they had  
been waiting for their escort to return to the Osprey, the whole event having sapped her energy. She  
looked over and saw the Marines are boarding the aircraft with solemn expressions on their faces. As  
the last soldier boarded, the engines started up and the back hatch closed. Two minutes later, they're in  
the air and en route back to Middleton.

TWO HOURS LATER...

Kim pulled out her kimmunicator and dials up Wade.

"Hey Kim," The technophile said. "I was wondering when I was going to hear from you."

"Drakken's dead." Kim said sullenly.

"I received word of that from the Lieutenant. He said that Shego was being taken to Araxos to go to  
Landstuhl, and I was tracking the helicopter using satellites when I saw it go down."

"WHAT?!" Kim demanded, drawing everyone attention "What do you mean it went down?"

"It just crashed. It was flying along and then suddenly it nosed down and hit the water. I counted the  
number of people who escaped as six... Kim... I'm sorry... I haven't been able to identify Shego..."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked. "How can you identify anyone?"

"There was a United States spy satellite in the region and I re-tasked it to identify the people in the  
water... Shego didn't make it out of the helicopter..." Wade said. "I notified the local coast guard officials  
and they dispatched ships to pick up the survivors and search for Shego but the water is deep there...  
I'm sorry..."

"No... No..." Kim said, shaking her head. "Wade... she can't be gone..."

"I'm sorry, Kim..." Wade said. "She is..."

She stared at the small device until she heard a soft 'pat' sound as a single tear falls from her eye and  
strikes the hard plastic surface.

"Kim... I'm sorry..." Ron said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" She shouted, surprising him and everyone else aboard. "You hated her! Don't try and  
pretend you cared about her!"

"I never liked her, Kim, but I still respected her..." Ron said. "KP, she was the villain we were both closest  
to... I mean... how many times did we go out and face off against her? Hundreds, I'm sure. I respected  
her just like you did..."

"Ron... you don't know anything about me and Shego so don't pretend you do..." Kim growled.

Ron blinked, taken aback by this statement and opened his mouth to say something only to shut it again  
and shake his head.

"Kim, can I talk to you?" Lieutenant Pierce said and Kim looked up at him. He moved his head slightly to  
indicate the back of the aircraft and then unlatched his belt. Kim did the same and they moved to the  
back while Ron watched silently. They talk for several minutes, and then Ron watched as Lt. Pierce  
stepped over to Kim and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She threw her arms around  
him and—much to Ron's surprise—broke down crying. He stared unabashedly at the duo for a minute  
before looking down at the floor, feeling as if he had missed something extremely fundamental about  
the whole situation. He unfastened his belt and stood only to be pulled back into his seat by a Marine.

"Don't move, boy." The Marine growled menacingly.

"Or what?" Ron asked.

"Or I'll have to make my point to you in a different way..." The Marine said, poking Ron in the ribs with  
his Ka-Bar. "Do you get me, boy?"

Ron growled deep in his throat and they watch as his eyes turn from chocolate brown to ice blue.

"You'd better put that knife away..." Ron said in a level tone.

"Ron? What's going on?" Kim asked.

"Nothing," The soldier said.

"Duke, put your Ka-Bar away." Lt. Pierce said.

Kim watched Duke move a bit and she hears a soft whisper of steel on plastic.

"Now, tell me, what is the deal with your glowing blue eyes?" Lt. Pierce asked.

"It's my mystical monkey power." Ron said.

"Huh." Lt. Pierce said. "So tell me, why did Duke have his knife at your ribs?"

"He and I didn't see eye to eye..." Duke said calmly. "Sarajevo."

"Ah." Lt. Pierce said, immediately catching the reference. "I understand. Well, Ronald, sometimes it's  
better just to stand off to the side and let others deal with things rather than getting involved and  
complicating the issue."

"Feh." Ron said. "Whatever."

"Ron, please don't be like that." Kim said softly.

"For you, KP..." Ron said.

"Thank you." She said.

"Murphy, take Kimberly's seat." LT Pierce said and a soldier who had been sitting next to him stood and  
moved over to where Kim had been sitting. Lt. Pierce then walked over and sat down and Kim sat next  
to him, leaning against him and closing her eyes. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her  
gently. Ron watched quietly and then felt Duke shift in his seat.

"It seems that the lieutenant cares about your Kimberly as much as he cares about his own daughter."  
Duke said. "He's willing to let down his guard around her and act like this. This is something special and  
everyone in the unit knows this. That is why I did not let you move. Had you interrupted, you would  
have caused more issues than you would have solved. Now I would suggest that you sit there and be a  
good boy for the rest of the trip for her sake. Will you do that?"

"For Kim's sake," Ron said.

"Thank you, Ronald." Duke said, and sat back in his seat.

HOURS LATER...

Kim and Ron disembarked from the V-22 Osprey and Lt. Pierce gave Kim one more hug before stepping  
back aboard and closing the hatch. They backed up a few feet and watched as the tilt-wing aircraft lifted  
into the air and then flew off.

"KP... Are you doing all right?" Ron asked.

"I guess..." Kim said. "I'll talk to you later, Ron."

Ron watched as Kim walked off, her head somewhat hung and her back hunched over ever-so-slightly.  
Ron shook his head slowly at the visible signs of her depression, knowing that what is visible is just the  
tip of the iceberg.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Kim walked in the front door of her house and made her way to the stairs to go up to her room but was  
stopped by the sound of a voice calling her...

"Kimmie? Are you alright?" Kim's mother, Doctor Ann Possible asked, standing in a nearby doorway.  
"You seem sad... did something happen on the mission?"

Kim stared at her mother for a long moment before the first tear escaped her eye.

"Kimmie?" Ann said softly and this is all it took to make Kim break down crying and throw herself into  
her mother's arms.

"She's dead..." Kim sobbed.

"Who, honey? Who's dead?" Ann asked, suddenly very alert and concerned about her daughter.

"Shego!" Kim exclaimed. "Shego's dead and I couldn't save her!"

"Honey, slow down and tell me exactly what happened." Ann said.

"Ron and I went to stop Shego and Drakken as usual but when we got there the lair exploded and so we  
went in to see if they were gone but we found them in there... Shego was in her room and Drakken was  
in the lab... He was killed in the explosion but she wasn't. We called in an airlift to take her to an airport  
to get her to Landstuhl but her helicopter crashed over the ocean. Wade counted the survivors and she  
wasn't there... she's dead!" Kim bawled.

"Oh, Kimmie..." Ann said and caressed her daughter's hair tenderly.

Jim and Tim walked into the room slowly, eyeing their sister carefully before gazing at their mother who  
looked at them levelly. They nodded in unison, and then slipped out once more, knowing this is the  
wisest course of action now. As they walked through the house, one thought gnawed at both of them.  
Finally, Jim spoke what both of them had been thinking...

"What the hell happened on the mission to make her break down?" Jim said.

"It had to be something big." Tim said. "Like someone dying."

"Not Ron." Jim said. "The Stoppables would be here."

"Who were they going against?" Tim asked.

"Drakken." Jim said.

"You don't think that Drakken is..." Tim asked.

"Dead? No. That wouldn't make her break down like this." Jim said.

"Then what?" Tim asked. "Do you think that Shego is?"

"Dead? Shego? Yeah, right..." Jim said. "It would take an act of God to kill her."

"We should ask Wade. He'll know." Tim said.

"Yeah! You're right!" Jim said and they quickly ran to their room and turned on their computer. They  
waited a moment and signed onto the VPN Wade had set up for video communications and soon saw  
Wade looking defeated.

"Hey Kim," He said, not looking at the screen. "There's no word on Shego, yet. Surface ships and  
submarines are on scene and are searching for the helicopter but they can't find anything."

"WHAT?!" The brothers demanded, astounded.

"What? Jim? Tim? Where's Kim?" Wade asked, looking at the screen for the first time.

"Downstairs crying," Jim said. "Shego's dead?"

"That's how it looks." Wade said. "Here's the footage..."

They watched as the screen changed to a helicopter flying over the sea before the rotors slow and it  
plunges down into the water.

"Engine failure," Tim said. "Something killed their engines. That's what caused the crash."

"Are you sure?" Wade asked.

"That would be the only thing that could cause the rotors to slow like that." Tim said. "It then auto-  
rotated down and crash-landed into the water... what I don't understand, though, is that model of  
helicopter is built with an emergency system that inflates several pontoons to keep the helicopter from  
sinking like that..."

"Wait... is it an electronic system that triggers the pontoons?" Wade asked.

"Yeah." Tim said. "Wait a second... you think that an EMP took out the helicopter?"

"Possible." Wade said. "But the strange thing is, there are no aircraft or ships for miles around... what  
would cause the failure like that?"

"Underwater EMP device?" Jim suggested.

"No go." Wade said. "Anything powerful enough to make that sort of EMP burst underwater would be  
visible from the satellite."

"Shego." Tim said and both his brother and Wade looked at him. "Her powers... do you think that she  
could create an electromagnetic field?"

"It's possible... but why would she do that? Wouldn't it kill her when it took out the helicopter?" Wade  
asked.

"That I don't know..." Tim said. "Why was she in a helicopter, anyway?"

"She was being transported from the island of Kophos to Araxos Airport to be taken to Landstuhl."

"Why would she be taken to a military hospital?" Jim asked.

"She was badly injured in an explosion at the lair... Drakken was killed instantly..." Wade said.

"Oh." Jim said. "Do you think that it could have been unconscious?"

"You think she had an unconscious discharge that knocked out the helicopter?" Wade asked and Jim  
nods. "Well... it's possible... When they pull up the black box, I'll make the suggestion to them."

"Thanks Wade." Tim said.

"Guys... can you tell her what I said earlier about the search?" Wade asked.

"Sure thing." Jim said.

"Thanks. I owe you one." Wade said and cut the connection. The boys walked downstairs and saw that  
Kim had stopped crying but is still holding onto their mother.

"Kim?" Tim said. "We talked to Wade..."

"What?" Kim said, looking at her brothers.

"He said that there are surface ships and subs there searching, but they haven't found anything." Jim  
said.

"We think that Shego might have released some sort of electromagnetic pulse and that it could have  
knocked out the helicopter." Tim said.

"We told Wade and he's gonna tell them when they recover the helicopter." Jim said.

"Thanks, tweebs." Kim said, releasing her mother and turning to the twins who walked over and hugged  
her.

"You're welcome, sis." They said in unison.

THE NEXT DAY...

Kim sits in English class, staring at the front of the room but unable to comprehend the words that are  
coming from Mister Barkin's mouth when a loud voice suddenly jerks her out of her daze.

"Possible!" Mister Barkin snaps. "I know you're not day-dreaming in my class."

"Huh? What?" Kim said.

"That's what I thought. Detention." Barkin said.

Beep-beep-ba-beep...

Kim pulled out her kimmunicator and hit the talk button in blatant defiance.

"Go Wade." Kim said, glaring at Mister Barkin.

"Kim, we've got a hit on the site. Hey... aren't you in class still?"

"No big." Kim said. "What's the sitch?"

"Monkeyfist just stole a rare ruby called 'The Eye of the Monkey Gods' from the Middleton Museum. It  
was on loan from the Malian government." Wade said.

"Do you have a location for him?" Kim asked, grabbing up her bag and walking to the front of the class.

"I've got a hit on a lair that just went active. I sent the information to your kimmunicator." He said. "Do  
you need a ride?"

"Please and thank you." She said.

"I'll see what I can do." He said.

"Thanks Wade." She said. "I'll be outside the school."

She ended the call and put her kimmunicator in her pocket.

"What are you doing, Possible?" Mister Barkin asked.

"What do you think I'm doing Mister Barkin?" She asked. "I'm going on a mission."

"And what makes you think you can walk out of my class?" He asked.

She walked up to him and looked him in the eye.

"I just lost someone very important to me." She said. "That happened because I failed to get to a  
mission on time. Now I'm not going to let that happen again. I'm going to make it to my mission and I'm  
going to take care of business before anyone else dies, even if it kills me."

He looked at her for a long moment and then sighed heavily. "Be careful out there, Possible."

She walked out the door and down the hall, stopping at her locker to shove in her books before walking  
out front where she a helicopter is waiting for her. She jogged over, opened the side door, climbed in,  
and secured the door before buckling herself in. "Let's go!" She said as she put on her helmet.

The pilot nodded and lifted the cyclic, lifting the aircraft from the ground.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER...

Kim fast-roped out of the helicopter and landed with a roll before charging headlong into the lair where  
she believed Monkeyfist was hiding. As she rounded one corner, her eyes narrowed as she spied a tuft  
of monkey hair on the ground. She nodded as her suspicions were confirmed and quickly made her way  
further into the lair where she knew Monty would be hiding. As she entered the room, Monty looked  
over at her with a surprised expression.

"Kim Possible!" He exclaimed. "What are you—Oof!"

Monty is cut off as Kim launched a brutal kick into his stomach and followed up with a wicked right  
cross. A second after that, she wrestled Monty onto his stomach and pulled his hands behind his back,  
binding his wrists with line from her hairdryer/grapple launcher before turning him onto his back.

"Where is the ruby?" She asked.

"I'll never tell you!" He exclaimed. "The world will be—" SLAP!

His head jerked to the side as she viciously backhanded him.

"TELL ME!" She demanded.

"Who are you and what did you do with the real Kim Possible?" He asked, glaring at her.

"Tell me where the ruby is now or you're gonna get hit again." She growled.

"The ruby is in the safe... it's open." He said. Kim stood and walked to the safe before withdrawing the  
ruby and putting it into her pocket. "Monkey ninjas..." He started but Kim was faster and threw an open  
can of 'Kissy-girl' knockout lip gloss at him, sticking it square on his nose and making him stop just long  
enough for it to take effect. She walked back over, picked him up, and carried him out over her shoulder  
while taking out her kimmunicator. Touching a button, she watched Wade's face appear.

"Wade, call the pilot. I need a pick-up. I've got the ruby and Monkeyfist." Kim said curtly.

"Wow. That was fast." He said. "Calling your ride now."

"Thank you." She said and cut the connection. As she stood waiting, she heard Monty stir from his  
position over her shoulder.

"Who are you?" He asked groggily.

"Queen Bitch," Kim said. "That's who."

"You changed..." He said. "You're more violent..."

"I'm not letting anything happen again, even if it means I've got to put you down hard." She said.

The helicopter circled overhead for a second, then landed and she walked over before dumping the  
English hybrid in the back before opening the copilot's door and climbing in. She quickly buckled in and  
the pilot lifted off once more.

"Short mission," The pilot said.

"Smash and grab." Kim said. "I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice."

"I heard about that." He said. "I'm sorry..."

"Thank you." Kim said. "Now let's drop off the delivery... I want to get home."

"Understood," He said.

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER...

Kim climbed out of the helicopter which had landed on the roof of Global Justice HQ and took Monty  
out of the aircraft before slinging him over her shoulder and carrying him to the roof access. As she  
reached it, the door opened and she found herself eye-to-eye with the head of Global Justice: Doctor  
Elizabeth 'Betty' Director.

"Here's Monty." Kim said, dropping him at her feet before pulling out the ruby. "And here is the ruby."

"What did you do to him?" Betty asked, looking at the unconscious man.

"Knockout gas," Kim said. "I wanted to take him down before he could do anything stupid."

"Ok..." Betty said before motioning to two GJ agents who walked over and picked up the villain. "I'll  
have the pilot take you back to your school..."

"Thanks." Kim said, walking back over to the helicopter and climbing in once more.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER...

Kim climbed out of the helicopter and waved at the pilot before walking through the school and to the  
principal's office.

IN THE OFFICE...

"So you walked out of class, caught a helicopter ride to a villain's lair and took him down before flying to  
Global Justice's headquarters to drop him off then flew back here and now you expect a note to get back  
into class?" The principal asked, his face a mask of incredulity.

"Yes." Kim said simply.

"I hope you realize just how outrageous this must sound..." He said.

"I do, but it's the truth." She said. "Now can I have my note, please?"

He sighed and nodded before taking out a note pad and scratching down a quick message. He then tore  
off the sheet and handed it to her.

"Next time, tell me before you're gonna do this, will you?"

"I'll try." She said, turned, and walks out of the office.

THE NEXT DAY...

"Possible!" Mister Barkin said and Kim lifted her eyebrow. "What is the answer?"

"Sixty-four," Kim said dryly.

"Correct." He said and her Kimmunicator went off. "Go."

"Thanks, Mr. B." She said as she stood and packed her things into her bag before taking out her  
kimmunicator and touching the 'talk' button. "Go, Wade."

"Kim, we've got a hit on Duff Killigan going after the North Ridge Golf Course. It's something about them  
wanting to redo their course and he doesn't like it." Wade said.

"Do you have a transport ready?" She asked.

"Ready and waiting." He said.

"Thanks Wade." Kim said. "Say, can you set me up with some of the less-than-lethal gear that SWAT  
teams use? I want to be able to take down my targets quicker and to deal with the henchmen more  
effectively."

"I'll see what I can do." He said.

"Please and thank you." Kim said and ended the call before walking out the front door and smiling as  
she saw a camouflage painted Hummer H1 Alpha waiting for her. She jogged out to the vehicle and  
climbed into the passenger's seat, smiling at the driver. "Hi, John!"

"Hey there, Kimberly." John said as she buckled in.

"Thanks for the ride." She said.

"Hey, after you saved my ranch from that flood it's no problem." He said.

"No big." She said. "Just took a little bit of creative demolition work to reroute the water is all."

He pulled out of the parking lot and headed out to the interstate. Fifteen minutes later, she heard her  
kimmunicator beep and took out the device.

"Go Wade." She said.

"Hey Kim." The chocolate-skinned teenager said. "I just got off the line with the Middleton PD and  
they've arranged for you to get armed up with some of their tactical gear. I explained the current  
situation and they said that they'd be willing to do an on-the-go transfer."

"Spanking!" She said, grinning.

"ETA on your delivery is twenty minutes and twelve miles. Tell John to get into the right lane and be  
ready." Wade said.

"Ready and waiting." John said, glancing at the device.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Wade said. "They say to open your sun roof."

"Ok..." John said, touching the control and opening a two-foot by six foot opening in the roof of the  
vehicle.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...

"He said twenty minutes, right?" John asked, glancing into his rear-view mirror.

"Yeah," Kim said.

"It looks like they're early." He said and Kim glances behind them at the vehicle that is following them.

"What is that thing?" She asked.

"Looks like a Stryker or maybe a Canadian LAV III." He said and the vehicle geared down before pulling  
up past them and then changing lanes to move in front of them. "It's a Stryker. I recognize the hatch."

As he said this, said hatch opened and he looked at the man who had opened it. He is dressed in a  
tactical uniform and holding a cable with a hook on it. He reached over and quickly latched it onto a  
towing ring on the back of the vehicle before motioning to Jack.

"Move closer." Kim said and John nodded, moving closer to the vehicle until his bumper is almost  
touching the back. The man then attached the other end of the four-foot cable to one of the two tow  
hooks on his front bumper. He repeated this action with a second cable to bind them together. Kim  
watched as the passenger then ducked inside for a moment before moving back to the hatch and then  
leapt out the back and onto the front of the Hummer. He then climbed up onto the hood with a large  
pack on his back and an umbilical cord keeping him attached to the Stryker. He climbed up to the  
sunroof and then dropped in the pack before climbing in.

"You have a full non-lethal array complete with two beanbag shotguns and eighty shots and a forty-  
millimeter grenade launcher with twelve shots of tear gas and two gas masks. Rounding it out, there is a  
TASER with the optional stand-off capability and six extra cartridges and two dozen flexible restraints."  
The officer said.

"Thank you." Kim said and he nodded before climbing back out onto the roof and walking forward, using  
the umbilical to provide stability. He then leapt back into the SWAT vehicle before disconnecting the  
cables and closing the back hatch. Half a mile later, they took an exit and John closed the sunroof.

"Wow." John said.

"Yeah, that's not normal for me either but I had something happen and people died because I screwed  
up and didn't take care of business fast enough so I'm making sure that I'll do it right the next time." Kim  
said distantly.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine." He said.

"I have to." She said. She climbed into the back seat and began loading the various weapons with their  
respective ammunitions.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

John pulled up at the golf course and Kim heard an explosion in the distance.

"Thanks, John!" She called as she climbed out with one shotgun slung across her back and carrying the  
other in her hands. She jogged into the clubhouse where she saw some people cowering in fear.  
"Where's Duff?"

"He said he wanted to play the links..." A young woman said. "We just had someone come running in  
from the sixteenth hole saying he was heading their way."

"Thanks." Kim said and walked toward the door.

"You're not gonna kill him... are you? I mean you're Kim Possible!"

"I'm not going to let anyone else die on my watch." She said grimly and walked out to where a golf cart  
sat and quickly drove onto the course.

TWO MINUTES LATER...

"FORE!" Duff called, drawing back his golf club to drive an explosive ball down range.

BLAM! A shotgun fired and cycled a fresh round. Duff spun, his eyes wide with shock, and stared at Kim.

"Kim Possible! I dinnae figure ye would use a gun, lass!" He exclaimed.

"Give it up, Duff." She said, aiming along the top of the weapon.

His hand twitched and moved for his pocket but she was faster and shot him three times in the chest  
and abdomen in rapid succession, dropping him to the ground. She then walked over to the groaning  
Scotsman and bound his hands with the flexible restraint (oversized cable-ties). She then dragged him to  
the cart and tossed him on the back before driving back to the clubhouse and parking.

"Ye have changed..." He said weakly.

"Death changes everyone." Kim said. "Now shut your mouth before I gag you as well."

TWO MONTHS LATER...

Kim sat quietly in her room, holding a picture taken of her and Shego when she had been Miss Go. She  
tenderly touched the picture and sniffed softly. The moment was disturbed, though, by a knock at her  
door and she jumped.

"Who is it?" She said.

"Kimmie? Can you come downstairs for a moment? There are some people who want to talk to you..."  
Kim's mother said.

"Ok..." Kim said and tucked the picture into her nightstand before walking out of her room and down  
the stairs into the living room. As she walked in, she blinked as she saw Doctor Betty Director of Global  
Justice with four GJ agents standing in the middle of the room. "Doctor Director!"

"Hello, Kimberly." She said smoothly. "Have a seat."

Kim sat down as did Betty but the four agents remain standing.

"It's come to our attention that you've been doing a spectacular job at capturing villains as of late."

"Thank you." She said, smiling.

"And you've been using some very brutal means to achieve your ends."

"Well, I need to take them down fast and hard." She said.

"Does that include using the butt of a shotgun to strike Señor Senior Junior in the back not once but  
three times while demanding he lie on the ground?" Betty asked. "And then threatening to shoot him  
point blank with that same weapon?"

"He was resisting." Kim said, feeling nervous.

"What about DNAmy? You used four CS gas canisters on her lab before you charged in and shot her  
twice without even demanding her surrender..."

"I knew she wouldn't go down without a fight." She said.

"I won't even go into what you did to Doctor Dementor other than to say it's a good thing he wears a  
helmet." She said. "Kimberly, while I'm not saying you cannot save the world anymore, I would like to  
give you a couple very strong suggestions. First suggestion: take a break from work. Second suggestion:  
give up the weapons. They're nothing but trouble. Now, will you take my suggestion or will things go  
bad? I've already cut deals with four of your victims whereby they agree to quit the business if you take  
an extended hiatus."

She stared at Doctor Director for a long moment, her face a mask of shock.

"You're kidding... you're telling me to quit?" She asked, incredulous.

"Yes." Betty said simply. "Now will you surrender the weapons and stop your endeavors or will we be  
forced to arrest you for unlawful detention and use of excessive force. I'm sorry that it's come to this,  
Kimberly, but you are becoming too dangerous to have running around loose like this."

"What if I give up the guns?" Kim asked.

"No, Kimberly. It's gone too far already. You're out of the game, one way or the other. My suggestion is  
you give up peacefully because if you don't, there's no telling where you could end up... I hear that the  
Fashionistas are still angry at you for putting them away the last time..."

"Wait a minute!" Ann exclaimed. "I don't appreciate you threatening my daughter like that!"

"It's all right, mom." Kim said bitterly. "It's how she works. If she doesn't get you to cooperate by asking,  
she'll squeeze you until you're crushed to death or give up. No matter what, she wins."

"That is the plan." Betty said calmly. "What is your choice?"

"I'll get you the guns." Kim said.

"Frank." Betty said, turning to face one of the GJ agents.

"No." Kim said sharply. "It'll be you, Betty."

"You think that I'm going to trust you in a room full of guns?" Betty asked and Kim glared at her balefully  
for a long moment before standing and walking out of the room. A minute later, she walked back  
downstairs with the weapons she had received and dropped them in front of Betty who smiled at her.  
"I'm glad we see eye to eye."

"Get the guns and get out of my house." Kim growled.

Betty made a motion and the GJ agents picked up the weapons before walking to the front door. Betty  
took a step as well, then turned back to look at Kim.

"Kimberly, when you've calmed down and gathered yourself, we could use an individual such as you at  
Global Justice." Betty said. Kim spat in her face, not bothering to put her hatred into words. "Well, as  
that is how it is..."

"Piss off, Betty, and get the hell out of my house." Kim grated out and Betty left without another word.  
As soon as the door shut, Kim deflated and she collapsed to the floor in a crying heap. Ann rushed to her  
despondent daughter and held her close, feeling as if this were the only thing she could do for her.

THE NEXT DAY...

Kim walked out of the house, feeling as if all meaning had been sucked from her life. She had once  
fought to stop villains from taking over the world, but then Shego and Doctor Drakken had been killed in  
an accident. She then fought to stop villains before they harmed themselves, but then Global Justice had  
stepped in and stopped her, saying she was harming them... she was protecting them! From whom?  
From what? Did they need protecting? Did they deserve it? Yes. Villains or not, they still need to be  
protected... Why?

She shook her head to clear herself from this quagmire-like thought process and then stopped as she  
saw a young woman with long raven-black hair and pale, almost green skin walk into a shop across the  
street. She quickly ran across the street and into the dress store, her eyes tracing back and forth as she  
searched for the elusive young woman.

"Can I help you?" A woman asked and Kim looked over at her. She looked to be in her mid-fifties with  
lush jet-black hair and a fair complexion. Kim stared at the svelte woman for a long moment, her bottom  
lip quivering and her eyes disbelieving. "Miss, are you all right?"

"Did... did a young woman come in here?" Kim finally asked.

"The only persons in this shop are me, you, and my daughter Sheila." The young woman said. "Is  
something the matter?"

"I thought I saw someone I knew..." Kim said, a tear tracking down her cheek. "I'm sorry that I bothered  
you..."

"It's all right." The woman said as Kim turned and walked out of the shop.

TWO DAYS LATER...

"Kimmie? It's time for breakfast..." Ann said through the door of her daughter's room.

Naught but silence answered her.

"Kimmie... come on... get up..." Ann said.

She stood there for a moment longer then sighed and tried the locked doorknob once more.

"Here." Jim said and Ann looked over at him. "Let me..."

She stepped to the side and Jim stepped up to the door, putting two small pieces of metal into the lock  
and deftly manipulating it. Ann watched as he picked the lock in under a minute then stepped back.

"There you go." He said and walked off. Ann turned the knob and pushed the door in, stepping into  
Kim's room.

"Kimmie, honey..." Ann said. "Are you all right?"

Ann walked over to her daughter, eyeing the pajama-clad teenager closely.

"No meaning..." Kim said into her pillow as she clutched it tightly against her upper-chest.

"What?"

Kim looked up a bit. "No meaning..." She said again.

"What has no meaning, honey?" Ann asked.

"I have no meaning..." Kim said.

"What? Of course you do!" Ann said, walking over to her daughter's side and sitting down on her bed.  
"Why do you say you don't?"

"I can't stop villains anymore... I can't care about school or cheerleading... Shego's dead..." Kim said, and  
then clenched her eyes shut and Ann watched as a tear escaped. "I have no meaning..."

"Honey... I know you're hurting because Shego died... but you aren't without meaning..." Ann said.  
"You're just going through a tough time... honey... I think that you should go talk to a friend of mine  
from the hospital... she helps people who are dealing with grief caused by the loss of a loved one."

"What?" Kim asked, confused. "You think... you think I loved Shego?"

"Kimmie, loss is loss for anyone... it doesn't matter if you loved them, if you respected them from  
fighting them for so long, or if you just feel responsible for their death because you weren't able to get  
there in time to save them." Ann said. "Kimmie... please..."

"I guess..." Kim said.

"Thank you, Kimmie. I'm going to call Laura and see if she's available." Ann said as she stepped out of  
the room and withdrew her cell phone.

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"Kimmie? Laura's got the next couple hours free... come on... let's go see her..." Ann said.

"All right..." Kim said as she lay on her bed, still clutching her pillow. Ann looked at her daughter for a  
moment before walking to the closet and taking out Kim's tan trench coat. She walked back over and set  
it down on the bed.

"Come on, honey... let's go..." Ann coaxed and Kim slowly stood up. Ann wrapped the coat around her  
daughter and tied the tie before wrapping her arm around her frail-seeming form and leading her out of  
her room while she still clutched her pillow tight.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER...

"Laura... thank you for seeing her on such short notice..." Ann said.

"Ann, it's no problem." Laura said. "We're all family here at the hospital so when our loved ones need  
help, we pull together."

"Kimmie?" Ann said. "I want you to meet someone..."

Kim stared at the woman with short-blonde hair with blank eyes.

"Hello, Kimberly..." Laura said, her hazel eyes searching Kim's olive-colored orbs. "My name is Laura  
Benson. Your mother said that you lost someone important to you?"

"Shego..." Kim said softly.

"Her name was Shego?"

Kim nodded.

"Was she your friend?"

"My enemy..." Kim said.

"She was your enemy?" Laura asked, confused, and Kim nodded. "Why are you so hurt if she was your  
enemy?"

"She was special..." Kim said. "She was the one I could fight without fear... she was the one I knew I  
could go against without having to worry about being stabbed in the back... she was my friend..."

"Wait a second... you just said she was your enemy..."

"Shego was my enemy... Miss Go was my friend..." Kim said.

"Shego was hit with a device called the 'Attitudinator' that made her personality shift from dry, scathing,  
and sarcastic to warm, bubbly, and saccharin-sweet." Ann said. "She stayed with us when she was under  
the effects and made fast friends with Kimmie. After that, Kimmie still felt close to her and it was  
reflected in how they'd interact. Shego would tease Kimmie, but it didn't have as much sting and Kim  
would threaten Shego but her words were emptier."

"It sounds as if they had fallen in love." Laura said. "And with how she has reacted to the loss..."

"I agree..." Ann said. "But she doesn't want to accept the truth..."

Kim looked between the two women, her face a mask of incredulity.

"Kimberly, I want you to look me in the eye." Laura said and Kim looked at her. "Now... I want you to tell  
me exactly how you feel about Shego."

"I..." She faltered.

"Kimberly, if you don't tell me, I can't help you. I want to help you but you have to open up to me."

"I feel like part of me was torn out when I lost her..." Kim said softly. "When I was going to the lair, I felt  
thrilled to see her... when it exploded, I thought I was going to die... then I found her still alive and I was  
ecstatic and terrified... then when I heard the chopper had gone down..."

She stopped and sniffed, trying valiantly to fight back the tears that were forcing their way past her  
defenses and failing.

"It's all right, Kimberly, just let it out." Laura said and Kim hugged her tightly, the tears pouring down her  
cheeks.

"I miss Shego..." She sobbed. "I miss her so much..."

"It's alright, Kimberly..." Laura said, holding the crying young woman. "Just let it out..."

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

"Thank you, Laura." Ann said.

"Ann, like I said, we're all family here. We have to stick together." Laura said.

"Still... thank you." Ann said.

"You're welcome, Ann. Kimberly, if you ever want to talk, here is my private number." Laura said,  
handing Kim a business card.

"Thank you." Kim said softly.

"You're welcome, Kimberly." Laura said.

"Come on, honey, let's get you home." Ann said and led her daughter out of the hospital.

TWO DAYS LATER...

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ann asked her daughter.

"Yeah." Kim said, "I've got to go back."

"Ok." Ann said, and watched her daughter walk out the door. "Good luck, honey..." She said softly.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...

"Hey, KP..." Ron said as he walked over to the withdrawn redhead. "Glad to see you could make it..."

"I've got to get back to my old life." Kim said. "I've got to get back to how things were..."

"How things were?" Ron asked. "Things can never be how they were... KP... Shego's gone..."

"I know!" Kim snapped, then sighed and continued in a more sedate tone. "I know... but I want to get  
back to at least a semblance of normalcy. Come on... we've got to get to class."

He stood there and watched as she walked into the school, the doors closing behind her.

INSIDE...

Kim walked through the halls, feeling hollow as she navigated the corridor. As she walked into her first  
period class, all attention turned to her and she walked to her seat without paying mind to anyone.

"Possible!" Mister Barkin said. "You're twenty minutes late. Do you have an admit slip?"

She looked at him silently.

"I asked you a question." He said.

"Yesterday Global Justice took the last of what I was from me." Kim said. "They forced me to retire. This  
morning, I didn't want to wake up because I felt worthless. Mom had to call a counselor to talk me into  
going on. I barely had the energy to come here so I'm not gonna go to the office."

"You have to..." He stopped as the door opened and Ron walked in. "Stoppable! Where have you been?"

"Here you go, Mister B., notes for me and KP." He said, handing two pink slips to the substitute teacher.

"Good. I'm glad to see that someone has the energy to do what is right." He said.

"I'd watch what I said." Ron said. "You heard what happened to Dementor?"

"Yeah..." He said, shivering.

"He said something to her that made her very angry." Ron said. "Don't make the same mistake he did."

Steven Barkin looked over at the still unstable young woman for a moment.

"Right..." He said and walked over to his seat.

AFTER CLASS...

"Possible, Stoppable, I want to have a word with you two." Barkin said as the class left the room. Kim  
and Ron walked to the front and stood by Mister Barkin's desk as he watched everyone walk out. As the  
door shut, he turned to look at the two of them. "Now I don't have all the information on what  
happened and frankly it's none of my business to know, but I want to say something. If there ever comes  
a time where you pose a threat to my students or to yourself, I will do everything in my power to stop  
you, and I don't care how hard I have to put you down if it means their safety. Understood?"

"Are you threatening her?" Ron asked, incredulous.

"Yes, I am." Mister Barkin said. "I've heard what she's done to some of the villains and she is a risk."

"No I'm not." Kim said softly.

"So you say," He said.

"Yeah," She said. "They took my guns... they took my job... they forced me out... I have nothing left..."

"Fill me in." He said.

"Global Justice decided she was too much of a liability and so pulled the plug on her missions." Ron said.  
"They also said that some villains agreed to get out of the business if she was put out of the job because  
they didn't want her showing up while they were on the job legit."

"That does explain quite a bit." He said. "So now she feels that since she lost the things she identified  
herself by that she's lost herself?"

"That and Shego." Ron said quietly. "But she won't admit that other part."

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"She says time and again it's not true." Ron said.

"No, why do you think that's part of it?" He asked.

"I've known KP since Pre-K but even if I'd just met her, I'd know it. I saw the look on her face when we  
got the news her helicopter went down. I could hear the pain in her voice. It was like someone had  
ripped out her heart... and that hurt me the most..." Ron said.

"Hearing she felt like that for someone else?" He asked and Ron nodded. "I know, Stoppable, believe  
me. I know."

TWO WEEKS LATER...

Kim climbed out of bed slowly and made her way out of her room. As she walked past her brothers, they  
looked up at her with unreadable expressions but she didn't care. She walked into the bathroom and  
pulled the door shut.

"How do you think she's holding up?" Jim asked his brother and usual partner in crime.

"With how introverted she's been? I'm not sure..." Tim said. "I'm really worried about her..."

"Me too..." Jim said, shaking his head.

"Have you boys heard anything on the search?" Ann asked, walking past the talking boys.

"Nothing." Jim said.

"Not a word." Tim said.

"Wade's worried." Jim said.

"Why?" Ann asked.

"No sign of Shego." Tim said.

"So?" Ann asked.

"He wants proof that she's dead." Jim said.

"But why?" Ann asked.

"Closure for Kim," Tim said.

"So he's afraid that Kimmie's never going to have closure in this?" Ann asked and the twins nodded. "I  
think that in time she'll accept that Shego is gone..."

"But do you think she'll move on?" Jim asked.

"I don't know..." Ann said. "Kimmie's strong but this struck deep..."

The brothers nodded and Kim walked out of the bathroom silently. She stopped as she saw the  
congregation in the hallway but then walked between her mother and brothers and into her room.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Kim walked out of the house without so much as a word and headed down the street toward the school  
what has become just another part of the monotonous ritual that her life has become. As she walked  
down the street, she slowed and stopped with a heavy sigh.

"Hell with it..." She said and turned down a side street.

ELSEWHERE...

"KP... Where are you?" Ron said to himself as he paced back and forth outside the school.

"Come on, Ron." Monique said, holding the door for the towhead.

"Monique, Kim's not here yet." Ron said.

"She'll be fine." The chocolate-skinned young woman said.

"But what about KP?" Ron asked.

"She can handle herself," Monique said. "Come on, BF, it's time for class!"

"Fine..." Ron said, turning around and then walked into the school.

ELSEWHERE...

"What can I get for you, honey?" A young woman asked as she walked over to Kim. Kim glanced up at  
the woman for a long moment then looked back at her menu.

"Earl Gray?" She asked softly.

"Sure thing..." The woman said. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah..." Kim said softly, looking down at the table once more. The woman looked at her for a long moment  
and then walked off.

"A young lady such as yourself should never be in such a state of distress." A young woman said softly  
with a southern accent and Kim looked up at her with a confused expression that was intensified when  
she saw who had spoken to her. The woman is wearing a beautiful robin egg blue Edwardian Batiste tea  
dress and a rich hunter-green hooded cloak with the hood pushed back. Her raven-black hair is  
delicately plaited and as she looked down at Kim, there was almost a green sheen from the sunlight but  
Kim wrote this off as her imagination. "May I join you?"

"Sure..." Kim said, and the young woman sat down across from her daintily. "Do I know you from  
somewhere? You look familiar..."

"I often have people supposing they know me, but it is, for the most part it is just a case of mistaken  
identity." She said. "Now tell me, why is it that a lovely young woman such as yourself is in such a  
condition as to be sitting with your head almost on the table?"

"I lost someone..." Kim said.

"Someone you care about?" She asked and Kim nodded. "Would you share with me about them?"

"Why do you want to know?" Kim asked. "Is it because of who I am?"

"In all honesty it doesn't matter who you are to me. All that matters is that you are troubled and I might  
be able to help you with these feelings."

"You're kidding... right?" Kim asked and the young woman shook her head.

"No, I'm not." She said. "To turn a blind eye to the suffering of a lady, to avert one's gaze from the tears  
of a child is to stand party with those responsible. One must always be wary of whom they associate  
with or else one day they'll find they have no good friends left."

Kim stared at the young woman for a long moment, mystified by the words she had spoken.

"Do you agree?" The young woman asked.

"Yeah... I guess..." She said, still a bit lost.

The young woman smiled at Kim who blinked and then sighed.

"Even your smile reminds me of her..." Kim said.

"You cared about this young woman?" She asked.

"I did... yes..." Kim said. "She was... Wait... I don't even know your name and I'm spilling my guts to  
you..."

"My name is Sheila Gwendolyn Osterwich." The young woman said, extending her hand to Kim who took  
it politely.

"Kimberly Ann Possible." Kim said, and shook her hand.

"Now that we are acquainted..." Sheila said with a coy smile.

"More and more..." Kim said.

"She seems to have been very important to you... will you tell me about her?" Sheila asked.

"She and I were enemies..." Kim said. "I was a globe-trotting heroine and she was an internationally  
renowned villainess... but something more was growing between us... I just didn't realize it until I lost  
her."

"How did you lose her?"

"I had gotten a tip that she and her boss had been on the island of Kophos east of Kythnos and so I  
caught a ride with a squad of Marines and was dropped off on the island. When I got to the gates of the  
lair, they exploded out... we called the Marines who came and we went into the lair... Drakken, her boss,  
was dead... She was hurt but wasn't killed... she told me that she looked forward to fighting me... that  
she even loved me..." Kim said. "The Lieutenant called the corpsman and they evacuated her... the  
helicopter she was on crashed over the ocean and they haven't found her since... they just declared her  
dead..."

"And you believe she is gone?" Sheila asked.

"I haven't heard anything about her since then..." Kim said. "I... I'm scared that she's really gone..."

"And what if she came back?" Sheila asked.

"If she came back?"

"Would you tell her how you feel about her?" Sheila asked, leaning forward. "Or would you keep your  
feelings to yourself?"

"I... I don't know..." Kim said. "I mean I want to tell her... but I'd feel so afraid to tell her too..."

"Why?" Sheila asked.

"She's so powerful... when I talk to her... I feel like a child talking to a god... and she's always  
sarcastic..." Kim said.

"But was she when you found her?" Sheila asked.

"No..." Kim said. "She sounded kinda amused... but I think it was more at the irony than anything..."

"Then do you think that she's always sarcastic?" Sheila asked and Kim shook her head. "And did you feel  
like you were talking to a god when you found her?"

"No..." Kim said.

"Why not?" Sheila asked.

"I was so worried about her that I didn't care... I didn't care about her powers... I didn't care about her  
super strength... I didn't care about her martial arts skill... I just cared about her... I cared about how she  
was... I cared that she was alive..." Kim said.

"So if you were to see her again and had the chance to talk to her... would you care about her powers or  
her skills or her strength?" Sheila asked and Kim shook her head.

"I see..." Sheila said, sipping her tea once more before reaching into a hidden pocket and pulling out a  
ten-dollar bill, which she tucked under the corner of her cup. "If that is so..." She stood up and Kim  
stared up at her with confusion as she turned, drew up her hood, and then glanced back at Kim. "I'll see  
you around, pumpkin."

She turned away and walked out to the street and around the corner. Kim sat there for a moment until  
what she had heard sunk in and then with a violent shove she sent her chair flying back as she rushed  
around the table and out to the street. She rounded the corner and ran squarely into and rebounded off  
a body that captured her securely in strong arms. She looked at her 'captor' and saw it was a gentleman  
dressed in a white 'tombstone' shirt and black silk puff tie with a handsome lapis lazuli Tahoe Jacquard  
vest. Over this, he is wearing a Highland frock coat and matching Highland pants. His outfit is completed  
with a coachman's hat, white gloves, and a brass topped walking stick and looks like he had just stepped  
from the eighteenth century.

"Did you see a woman walk this way?" Kim asked.

"Have I seen a woman who has impacted me in such a way? I cannot say that I have." He said with a  
smile. "However, if you are speaking of the young woman wearing a handsome cloak, then yes, I have."

"Where did she go?" Kim asked.

"She climbed into a motorcar and drove away." He said.

"Oh..." She said, stepping back. "Sorry for running into you..."

"It is quite all right," He said, inclining his head to her. "I am Jonathan Watkins. Might I ask what your  
name is?"

"Kim... Kim Possible." She said.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kim Possible." He said while bowing and removing his hat.  
She blushed and curtsied a bit.

"Have you ever seen that young woman before?" Kim asked.

"She seemed familiar however I would not be so hasty as to say that I know her personally." He said.

"She's going by Sheila... Sheila Gwendolyn Osterwich." Kim said.

"I know the young woman. Her mother works in an apparel store not far from here."

"Right!" Kim exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"Would you care for a ride?" He asked and motioned toward a vintage car that is sitting nearby.

"Is that a nineteen thirty Cadillac Cabriolet?" Kim asked, amazed at the vehicle's pristine appearance.

"Yes, she is." He said with a touch of pride. "I rebuilt her from the ground up, reupholstered the interior,  
and repainted her the original factory color."

"Amazing..." Kim said, walking over and looking at the beautiful midnight black high-gloss paint job and  
then at the immaculate cream colored leather interior.

Jonathan walked over and opened the door for Kim.

"Thank you..." Kim said, climbing into the passenger's seat. He closed the door, walked around, and  
climbed in the driver's side.

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"We have arrived." Jonathan said as he parked, stepped out, and walked around the car. Kim watched as  
he opened the door for her and then stepped out.

"Thank you," She said, inclining her head to him. She then walked into the store and saw the woman  
who she had seen twice before.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked, looking at Kim.

"Where is Sheila?" Kim asked.

"My daughter?" She asked and Kim nodded. "As far as I know, she's gone to Victorian Tea."

"Where is that?" Kim asked.

"It is invitation only, I'm afraid." The woman said.

"Adrianna, she has my invitation." Jonathan said, walking into the store. "If she is the woman whom I  
believe her to be, then there is far more to your daughter than we have been privy to."

"Very well..." Adrianna said. "You won't be welcome wearing what you are... you'll need to go in proper  
attire..."

"And that is?" Kim asked.

"Come, my daughter has a few dresses in back which I feel you can wear..." Adrianna said and guided  
Kim into the back of the store.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER...

Jonathan stood still as a mannequin as he waited for the two women to emerge from the back room. As  
they did, he removed his hat and bowed low to Kim who, for her part, blushed as she saw him and  
tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The rest of her hair, once unruly, had been gathered in a  
simple yet elegant braid that encircled her head and then traveled down her back. Her clothing, too, was  
changed for the better. Where once she was wearing a school outfit consisting of a cropped-top tee  
shirt and a pair of shorts, she was now dressed in a full-length cream-colored tea dress and a midnight  
black hooded cloak. Her hands, too, were sheathed in fine velvet gloves and her feet were clad in  
stunning white boots that complimented her outfit beautifully.

"Truly a vision to behold..." Jonathan said.

"Thank you..." Kim said, blushing a bit more.

"Victorian Tea will begin soon, Jonathan." Adrianna said.

"I understand, Adrianna." Jonathan said. "Thank you."

"I'm not doing this for you," She said. "I'm doing this for Sheila."

"Perhaps one day we will put the past behind us..." Jonathan said.

"Says the man in the eighteenth century clothing," Adrianna quipped. "Go."

"Farewell, Adrianna." He said, tipped his hat, then turned and walked out with Kim a step behind. As she  
walked out, she glanced back once more and then put up her hood and walked to the waiting vintage  
vehicle. She climbed in and he shut the door carefully before walking around the vehicle and climbed in  
the driver's side.

"You and Adrianna have a past." Kim said.

"We were, at one time, lovers." He said. "But we came to a point in our relationship where we were at  
an impasse... and we had a fight... and she left me..."

"Do you still love her?" Kim asked.

"Not a day passes when I do not think about her." He said. "But my time with her, I'm afraid, has come  
to an end."

"Why don't you try and start over?" Kim asked.

"I fear that she will not forgive me for the things I said." He said.

"You've hurt her, and that will leave a scar, but if you were to go to her and tell her how you feel... then  
maybe you can have a second chance..." Kim said.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"As long as you're alive and breathing, there's a chance for anything to happen." Kim said.

"Anything is possible..." He said and she chuckled.

"That's the family motto, 'Anything is possible for a Possible.'" Kim said. "Guess it's true for everyone."

"I hope that it is." He said and pulled away from the curb.

TEN MINUTES LATER...

Jonathan pulled up to a large wrought iron gate outside a posh Upperton mansion and rolled to a stop. A  
man wearing a cloak walked over to the car and leaned down to the window.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"I am Jonathan Watkins." He said.

"And your guest is?" He asked.

"Kimberly Possible." Jonathan said.

"As she is your guest, you are responsible for her actions." The man said.

"I understand." Jonathan said and the man stood up before making a motion. The gates swung open  
silently and Jonathan drove up the long tree-lined driveway.

"Quite the security for a tea party," Kim commented.

"There are those here who would prefer to retain anonymity or who require protection from others so  
we have opted to host our parties here at the Van Garrett estate." Jonathan said.

"Van Garrett... you mean Edward Van Garrett? The billionaire land developer and investor?" Kim asked.

"Yes." Jonathan said.

"I hope that nothing comes up about the thing with the Seniors..." Kim said, glancing out the window.

"The Seniors?" Jonathan asked.

"Señor Senior Sr. and Señor Senior Jr. were denied entrance to the Billionaire's Club and tried to take  
revenge on them but I stopped them before they could pull it off..." Kim said. "I really don't want to  
discuss my missions here..."

"I am sure that he will not discuss it in detail with you." He said. "He may mention it in passing, but I am  
sure that he will not press the issue. If you would like, I will speak to him and ask him to make no  
mention of these things."

"It's no big... if he brings it up, I'll just demur and I'm sure he'll catch on." Kim said.

The car slowed and stopped next to well over a dozen other vintage cars, all as stunning as Jonathan's  
own vehicle.

"Wow..." Kim breathed, taking in the sight. "They're beautiful... Does everyone that attends have a car  
like that?"

"No, some of them belong to the guests and some belong to Edward. He sends them out with drivers  
each morning and they drive here and then home again. From there, the drivers bring the cars back."  
Jonathan said. "He does this so that all are seen as equals."

"Ah." Kim said, nodding her head while two men in black suits walked out and opened the door for the  
two who stepped out of the car.

"Thank you, Evan, Eric." Jonathan said while the man closed the door.

"Our pleasure," The men say in unison.

"Wow... I think that this is what the tweebs will be like when they grow up..." Kim said with a chuckle as  
she watches the men walk back to the mansion in perfect unison.

"Tweebs?" Jonathan asked with an uplifted eyebrow.

"My twin brothers, Jim and Tim, I call them the tweebs."

"Ah," Jonathan said. "And tweeb means twin dweeb?"

Kim blushed and nodded, drawing a chuckle from the man.

"The love of a sister for her brother is unique." Jonathan said. "Shall we?" He asked, offering his arm.

"Yes..." She said accepting his arm and following his lead to the palatial home.

"Come, the other guests have already gathered." A gentleman in a nicely turned out suit said, holding  
open the door for them. They walk inside and he closed the door before walking around them and  
leading them through the home and into a beautifully landscaped back yard, which looked to Kim to be  
something more akin to a palatial European estate than an Upperton mansion. The man led them over  
to a hedge-lined walkway and stepped to the side, letting them pass unimpeded.

"This place is amazing..." Kim said.

"Yes, it is." Jonathan said. "I've been coming here for well over three years and it is still quite the sight to  
me."

As they round a bend in the walkway, they find themselves in a large hedge-lined courtyard where a  
score of sharply dressed men and beautifully dressed women are standing about talking.

"Welcome, Jonathan." A man said and they look over to see who it was. A man wearing black slacks, a  
white 'Tombstone' style shirt and a caramel vest walked over to them with a broad smile on his  
handsome face. "Who is your lovely guest?" He asked, turning his slate-grey eyes to Kim who still has  
her hood up.

"Kimberly Possible." Kim said and extended her hand to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Welcome, Miss Possible. The pleasure is mine." The man said, taking her hand and kissing the back  
before standing back up and running his hand through his shaggy blonde hair. "You must forgive me for  
not introducing myself, I am Edward Van Garrett."

"Miss Possible is searching for someone, Edward." Jonathan said.

"And she has come here?" Edward asked.

"Yes." Jonathan said. "She believes the one she is searching for is here."

"Who is it she is seeking?" Edward asked.

"Sheila Osterwich." Jonathan said.

"And why, pray tell, is she seeking Sheila?" Edward asked. "You know the laws, Jonathan. I trust you  
have not violated them."

"I have not." Jonathan said. "But it's not really my place to say why."

"Very well," Edward said. "Then tell me, Kimberly, why are you seeking Sheila?"

"If she's the same person I think she is... then I don't know... I just want to see her and hear her voice to  
know she's all right... I want to hold her hand and know she's real..." Kim said. Edward looked at her  
with an unreadable expression for a minute before nodding slowly.

"Very well," He said, and then turned to look over at a small group of young women. "I shall return." He  
said and walked off.

"What was he talking about?" Kim asked.

"The laws of Victorian Tea state that no matter your status outside the estate, you are an equal and all  
equals are to be protected. They also state that no guest may deliver up another guest to anyone who  
would do them harm... including law enforcement." Jonathan said.

Edward walked over to the pair with a young woman wearing a beautiful robin egg blue Edwardian  
Batiste tea dress and a rich hunter-green hooded cloak with the hood pushed back.

"Hello, Jonathan." The young woman said smiling at Jonathan.

"Hello, Sheila." Jonathan said.

"Edward said that you brought someone who was looking for me?" Sheila asked.

"Shego... Is it really you?" Kim asked softly, her voice far more vulnerable than she expected it to be.  
Sheila looked wide-eyed at the young woman who pushed back her hood and stared back. "Is it really  
you? You're alive?"

Sheila stared at Kim with an almost mystified expression.

"I know we had our fights in the past... but then when I thought I lost you it was like my heart had been  
torn out... and when the helicopter went down... I was half a person..." Kim said and the men stared at  
her as well as several others who were standing around chatting. "The last time I saw you, you said you  
looked forward to seeing me and said that I could even say you loved me... I feel the same way... when I  
know I'm going to see you... it's so exciting... nobody else makes me feel the way you do... Shego... I  
think I love you..."

"Kimberly... I don't think that you have the correct person..." Jonathan said quietly as he looked at  
Sheila's shocked expression.

"Yeah..." Kim said softly and turned while putting up her hood. "I'm sorry I disturbed you..."

She walked toward the mansion with Jonathan keeping his hands on her shoulders for support.

"Princess, wait!" Sheila said and Kim stopped with a jerk. "Don't go..."

"Shego?" Kim said softly, turning around.

"Kimmie... I'm sorry I hurt you like that..." Shego said and Kim stared at her for a moment before rushing  
forward and taking the taller woman into her arms. Shego reached up and pushed back Kim's hood  
before cupping her cheeks gently, leaning down, and kissing her tenderly on the lips. This kiss draws a  
golf clap from those who are assembled, but neither the redhead nor the brunette care to pay them any  
mind so long as they have each other in their arms.

"Come, come..." Edward said after a minute. "Give the new couple their privacy..."

This finally shakes them out of their reverie... New Couple... Shego thought while staring at the redhead.  
Can we really be a couple? Can we make it work?

"Kimmie... Are you sure?" Shego asked.

"I lost you once..." Kim said. "I won't lose you again..."

"What about your parents?" Shego asked.

"I've felt more alive in the past hour than I have in the past month. You have no idea what I've gone  
through without you and I will not lose you again. I don't know what it takes, but I will be with you." Kim  
said.

"Well, it sounds like your mom and dad will either gain a daughter or lose one, then." Shego said.

"Shego... no matter what... they won't be just my mom and dad anymore..." Kim said.

"I... Thank you, Kimmie..." Shego said, touched by the gesture.

"My word..." A man breathed and Kim looked over with an expression of horror. "I would have never  
believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes!"

"Professor Jackson!" She exclaimed.

"You know him?" Shego asked.

"He works with my dad at the space center..." Kim said.

"Welcome, Doctor Jackson." Jonathan said wryly. "You have impeccable timing as always."

"You must forgive me, Jonathan. I'm not that familiar with Upperton as of yet." He said. "Now, Kimberly,  
would you please fill me in on why it is you are entwined with Sheila?"

"Doctor Jackson, I do not believe that this is the best time for such a line of questions..." Jonathan  
warned.

"It's fine, Jonathan..." Kim said, and turned to the professor. "Do you know what I used to do in my free  
time?"

"You were a globe-trotting heroine who saved the world dozens of times." He said. "Then you changed...  
you turned renegade... they said you were a vigilante... and then I didn't hear anymore news reports  
about you."

"I went out on a mission to an island near Greece where Doctor Drakken had a lair... when I arrived... it  
exploded. I thought Shego was dead but still went in to find out... I found her alive, after a minute of  
talking to her, I was sent out, and she was airlifted out of there... Later that day, I found out her  
helicopter had gone down and I thought I had lost her... that's why I changed." Kim said. "I wasn't going  
to lose anyone else so I took down the villains harder and faster so nothing could happen to them and so  
nobody else would die. Eventually Global Justice took my guns and told me to give it up. That's when I  
fell off the news."

"I see," He said, nodding. "So from there what happened?"

"From there, I was wandering until I saw Sheila and I had a feeling it was Shego. I didn't know, though,  
until she called me 'pumpkin' when she was walking away. I went after her but she was gone... That's  
how I met Jonathan who then brought me here and here I am." Kim finished.

"So you are intertwined with her because you thought she was dead but she was not?" He asked.

"I'm intertwined with her because I realized I couldn't live without her." Kim said. "I never want to let  
her go... I never want to lose her again..."

"I am sorry about that." Jonathan said and Kim looked at him.

"What?" Kim asked.

"I never wanted to cause you such distress, but we could not contact you sooner." Jonathan explained.  
"The plan was to have an accident occur in such a way that it would guarantee her being listed as dead  
and so have her warrants expire before giving her a new life. Unfortunately we could not allow you to  
come in contact with her before that time."

"You knew it was her?" Kim asked and he nodded.

"We all knew." He said. "We all had our parts to play in this act."

"And yours?" Kim asked him.

"I was the guide," He said.

"The guide." Kim said.

"You ran into me and I caught you. It was by no accident that I was dressed as I was. It was intentionally  
done to capture your attention." He said.

"So it was all a lie?" She asked.

"I would not call it a lie," He said. "It was simply an act to bring you to her."

"And everything that happened between you and Adrianna?" Kim asked and several of the others  
winced.

"We did have a fight, yes." He said. "And we went our own ways... but I still care for her..."

"How did you do it?" Kim asked. "The helicopter thing, I mean..."

"We knew that she would be evacuated by helicopter to Araxos to go to Landstuhl so we positioned a  
submarine below where she would travel and then when they were above us we triggered a small EMP  
grenade that knocked out the helicopter's systems. It crashed and two divers recovered Shego while the  
helicopter's crew was escaping and then we went to a small island off the coast of Nicaragua that one of  
our members owns where she recovered from her wounds. Once she was well enough and her warrants  
had expired, we put our plan into action and drew you to her." Jonathan said.

"How long had this been planned?" Kim asked.

"Just over one year." Jonathan said.

"So now what?" Kim asked.

"Now you have a new chance at love." He said. "You've been given a new hope for the future..."

"What about Doctor Drakken?" Kim asked softly.

"Drew had advanced stage leukemia thanks to the same lab accident that gave him blue skin." Shego  
said. "He was dying. He knew it, I knew it. He wanted to go out in a way that would mean something...  
so he went along with the plan to give it validity."

"What if you had been killed in the blast?" Kim asked.

"That was a risk I had to take..." Shego said.

"And now?" Kim asked.

"The warrants are gone, Janice Elizabeth Goers is legally dead, and I have a clean slate." Shego said.

"Janice Elizabeth Goers?" Kim asked and Shego nodded.

"That was my name. Now do you know why I went by 'Shego'?" She asked. "Now I'm Sheila Whitworth  
and I have a chance to build a future with the young woman I love. Now come, this is Victorian Tea...  
what are we doing talking and not drinking tea as well?"

TWO HOURS LATER...

"Thank you, one and all, for coming to today's Victorian Tea and making it the event that it was."  
Edward said, facing his guests who clapped politely. "I would like to invite you all to return next week for  
tea once more so we may converse and interact as we have come to enjoy. Kimberly, you too are  
welcome to join us whenever you choose as you have proven yourself to be an enjoyable individual to  
discourse with and we look forward to your return."

"Thank you, Edward." Kim said.

A grandfather clock chimed three o'clock in the background and Edward nodded.

"And now our time has come to an end. Farewell, my friends. I look forward to your return." Edward  
said and they clapped once more before making their way to the mansion. "Sheila, Kimberly, Jonathan,  
if you would please remain..."

They stopped and turned to face their host. He stood there, silent, until the last guest had shut the door.

"Now that tea has concluded, our life without may begin again. Jonathan, your aid in this endeavor has  
been immeasurable but now it is time for your part to end. You may leave." Edward said and Jonathan  
nodded before walking into the mansion leaving the women behind.

"What's going on?" Kim asked.

"What I have done for you and for Sheila is in part due to what you had done for me when you stopped  
the Senior's revenge against the billionaire's club..." He said and Kim blinked. "And part due to a  
promise I made to your mother, Sheila."

"You knew my mother?" Sheila asked.

"Yes, I did." He said. "I met your mother when I was just a young buck, no older than eighteen. She and I  
spent some time together but then we went our separate ways. We kept in touch, surreptitiously of  
course, and I learned of you and your brothers as well."

"Don't tell me you're Hego's dad..." Sheila said.

"No, that honor belongs solely to your father." Edward said. "Your mother once said that if anything  
were to happen to them that she would want me to look out for you. I have not failed in my task. I have  
always looked out for you. That is why I began Victorian Tea. I knew you had a fascination with this era.  
That is why I created the rules that within the walls the outside world did not exist and that we  
protected those who were within. That is why I have made it so that all are seen as equals. It was all  
done so that I could protect you and eventually save you from the path you had chosen."

"How long?" Sheila asked. "How long did it take you to pull this off?"

"Five years," He said. "The overall plan took a full five years to complete."

"And now?" She asked. "What will you do now?"

"Now I will do what I always do, I will host Victorian Tea as it has become something more than just  
what I have made. It is an egalitarian gathering, which is seldom seen. Besides, I enjoy their company, as  
I have come to enjoy yours." He said. "Will you continue to attend now you know the truth?"

"If I am welcome and Kimmie is welcome, I have no reason to withdraw." Shego said.

"Excellent." He said, smiling. "Then I will see you come next Sunday. Until then, I bid you adieu."

He sketched a bow and the young women curtsied in return before walking off.

"Now how do you think your parents are going to take this?" Shego asked.

"I don't know..." Kim said. "But there's only one way to find out..."

ELSEWHERE...

"Where do you think Kimmie is?" Ann asked. "James, I'm worried..."

"Ann, I'm sure that Kimmie-cub is fine..." James said reassuringly.

"James... I really wish you were here right now..." Ann said, clutching the phone tightly.

"I know, but I'm needed here for a test of the new booster system..." James said. "I'll be home as soon  
as I can. Have you called Wade and asked him to track her kimmunicator?"

"He said he can't trace it for whatever reason." Ann said.

"I wonder why that is..." James said. "Well, like I said I'm sure that Kimmie's fine."

"I hope so..." She said.

"I'll see you when I get home..." James said. "If she's still not home, we'll start looking, all right?"

"All right..." She said. "I love you."

"I love you too," James said. "Goodbye."

He hung up the phone and Ann hung up with a heavy sigh.

"Bubble-butt... Where are you?"

ELSEWHERE...

"This is your car?" Kim asked, looking at the Cadillac V-16 before her.

"Yeah," Shego said.

"I never figured you'd own a car like this..." Kim said.

"What, you expect me to have a sports car or a motorcycle?" Shego asked.

"Well... yeah..." Kim said.

"I owned them at one time... but that was when I was living fast..." Shego said and ran her gloved  
fingertips across the glossy car. "I've given up that way and now I'd much rather live well..."

"Oh..." Kim said.

"And what better way to live well than long and happy with the woman I love?" Shego asked, turning  
her gaze to Kim who blushed under the attention. Shego walked to the door and opened it for her.  
"Madame?"

"Thank you," Kim said and climbed into the passenger's seat. Shego closed the door and walked around  
to the driver's side before climbing in as well.

"And here we go..." Shego said and started the car...

TWENTY MINUTES LATER...

Doctor Ann Possible paced back and forth in the living room, wondering where her globetrotting  
daughter could be. Normally she would not be worried as Kim had a tendency to disappear on missions,  
but this situation was different. She knew Kim wasn't on a mission since she didn't go on them anymore  
and she had been acting very strange and depressed; something which had been causing her to be  
increasingly distraught as the days had progressed.

"Kimmie, where are you?" She asked the air and turned to pace back across the living room only to stop  
as she saw an old car pull up outside and park next to the sidewalk. She watched as the driver climbed  
out with their hood pulled up and walked around the car to the passenger's side before opening the  
door and letting out the passenger who also was cloaked. The figures stood and talked for a moment  
before making their way up the driveway and to the front door. Ann rushed to the door and stopped,  
wondering if she should open the door or not. Her dilemma was solved, though, as she heard the  
doorknob jiggle slightly and then a key was inserted into the lock and turned. The door opened and she  
held her breath as the two cloaked figures came into sight.

"Mom?" One figure said and Ann watched as they pushed back their hood, revealing it was indeed Kim  
standing there.

"Kimmie!" Ann exclaimed and embraced her daughter tightly. "I was so worried about you! Where were  
you? You never showed up to school and I was worried sick about you! I thought something had happened!"

"Mom, I skipped school because I really wasn't feeling up to it but that's not important." Kim said.  
"There's someone I want you to meet."

"What? Who?" Ann asked, looking at Kim's companion.

"Sheila Gwendolyn Osterwich," Kim said and Sheila pushed back her hood, "Formerly known as Shego."

"You're alive? I thought you were dead!" Ann exclaimed.

"That was the point," Sheila said. "I was getting rid of the warrants for my arrest. I wanted to start over  
new, and I knew that I had to die in order to do that."

"So where are you going to go from here?" Ann asked.

"I'm not sure..." Sheila said. "But it will be with Kimmie..."

Ann watched as Sheila reached out and gently took her daughter's hand in her own.

"I can't say that I'm not more than a bit surprised by this development, however from the way that  
Kimmie reacted to your supposed death I can at least appreciate what sort of feelings she had for you..."  
Ann said.

"You mean shooting people with a shotgun?" Sheila asked and Kim blushed.

"She took it hard when you died, Shego. She thought she had failed so she did what she felt was  
necessary to protect the other villains from themselves." Ann said. "That is why she became more  
militant in her actions."

"And here I thought she just liked leaving your mark on people..." Sheila said and chuckled. "But all  
kidding aside, I'm glad that you can understand what she was feeling."

"So how did it come out that you were still alive?" Ann asked.

"I caught her attention and made her think I was alive, and then doubt herself and think that I was just a  
hallucination. As planned and expected, she did and went to a café for tea... that's when I made my  
move... I went and talked to her and when I left I said, 'I'll see you around, pumpkin.' I then left and  
walked around a corner and slipped out of sight. She ran after me and ran into an accomplice of mine  
who delivered her to the people who were responsible for my being able to pull this whole thing off."  
Sheila said. "When I first saw her... and she saw me... she was so emotional that I didn't know how to  
react... I froze and I think that my accomplice, Jonathan, really thought that there was a mistake and  
tried to lead Kimmie away... and that made me feel like my heart was going to shatter..."

"I'm glad to hear that." Ann said.

"I apologized for what I had done... I begged her forgiveness... and I pleaded with her to never leave  
me..." Sheila said.

"It's amazing how much can be conveyed in one kiss." Kim quipped and Sheila blushed.

"So now you're a free woman... would you like to stay for dinner?" Ann asked.

"I'd like that..." Sheila said, nodding.

THE END...

Author's Note: I've been getting some messages asking when my next work would be out so I figured  
that I'd work on wrapping some up. This just happens to be the first one done. I hope you enjoyed  
reading this and will take the time to review my offerings. As always, many thanks to Anime Apothecary  
who's made it possible for me to turn out works without wondering if they're gonna totally tank... YOU  
ROCK! =^_^=

TK

EPILOGUE...

"Kimmie? Can you get that?" Ann said from the kitchen as she heard a knock at the front door.

"Sure..." Kim said and walked out of the living room. She walked to the door and pulled it open, only to  
stop as she saw Ron standing there. "Ron..." She said.

"KP... you weren't at school and I was worried..." He said, then stopped and looked at her. "Something's  
different..."

"What?" She asked.

"Something is different about you... your eyes... they've got their spark back..." He said. "KP..."

"She's back..." Kim said, worried how he would react.

"Shego?" He asked softly.

"Her name is Sheila... but yeah..." Kim said, nodding slowly.

Ron smiled from ear to ear. "BOOYAH!" He cheered then hugged the cheerleader and swung her around  
once before setting her back down. "Can I see her?"

"Sure... she's inside..." Kim said, still taken aback by his reaction.

Ron darted around the stunned redhead and made his way into the living room where he stopped as  
soon as his eyes fell upon the brunette.

"You're really here..." He breathed and she turned to look at him.

"Is something the matter, Ron?" She asked.

"Ron?" He asked. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Would you rather I call you buffoon?" She asked, standing up. "Your name is Ron, doi. We're not  
enemies anymore so I figured I didn't need to insult you but if that's what you want..."

"No... Ron is nice... and I'm glad that you're alive, Sheila..." He said.

"Are you feeling all right?" She asked, confused by his actions.

"Yeah..." He said. "I'm just really glad that you're alive..."

"Why?" She asked.

"KP was incomplete without you..." He said. "She was like a ghost... but now that you're back... she's  
back..."

She stood there as Ron walked over to her and hugged her warmly.

"Kimmie... help..." Sheila said uncomfortably.

"Ron, please let Sheila go..." Kim said and Ron blinked before releasing the green-skinned young woman.

"Thank you..." Sheila said.

"And thank you for not roasting him." Kim said. "Ron, Sheila's not as touchy-feely as most people...  
remember?"

"Oh... Sorry... I was just happy that you were back..." Ron said.

"Seriously?" Sheila asked.

"Seriously." He said, doing a passable impression of Motor Ed. "And you look like totally hot in that  
outfit... seriously..."

"Ok... if he doesn't stop this... I'm gonna hurt him..." Sheila said.

"KP..." Ron said nervously.

"You're gonna have to go somewhere else for help with this one, Ron." Kim said.

"Uh... sorry?"

"Apology accepted." Sheila said. "And thanks for the compliment."

"So what's the story with the Southern Belle look?" He asked.

"Well, there's an interesting story about that..." Sheila said.

THE END... (For real now...)


End file.
